1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to auto safety devices, and more particularly, to an auto safety device which alerts a driver in a first vehicle, following a second vehicle, of the second vehicle's impending stop.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of auto safety, various measures have devised in order to reduce accident fatalities. Most recent efforts have concentrated on advanced air bag deployment methods to prevent passenger impact with the windshield and dashboard. Older approaches to auto safety involved improved bumpers and reinforced chassis designs.
In reality, however, no matter the effectiveness of impact minimizing devices, automobile collisions will always produce some injury. Moreover, regardless of automobile occupant injury, the shear cost of automobile accidents warrants attention. There is a compelling need for a device which prevents collisions from occurring.
While devising means to prevent passenger auto injuries is laudatory, the real solution to auto safety lies in accident prevention. No matter the number of safety devices designed to minimize auto passenger impact with the auto itself, there is no substitute for accident avoidance. Even with the various safety devices available today, accident statistics are staggering.
One of the most basic automobile collisions is the rear-end collision. Traffic moves and pauses so often during a typical drive that preventing rear-end collisions would significantly impact accident statistics. The frequency of rear-end collisions is staggering.
As described in the January 1997 Department of Transportation's Report to Congress on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Intelligent Transportation System Program, rear-end fatalities are of utmost concern.
"A rear-end crash occurs when the front of a vehicle strikes the rear of a leading vehicle, both in the same lane. In 1994, there were approximately 1.66 million police-reported rear-end crashes. These crashes accounted for over 920,000 injuries and 1,160 fatalities. It is estimated that about 50 percent of these crashes could be avoided by collision avoidance systems that could sense stopped or moving vehicles in the forward lane." PA1 "The rear-end collision avoidance system (RECAS) concept is to monitor the forward path of the host vehicle, detect other vehicles and objects, and help the driver maintain a safe headway relative to a preceding vehicle (Category 1 system) or warn the driver if a collision is imminent (Category 2 system). At present, the technology to provide effective rear-end collision avoidance systems is generally believed to be more advanced than systems for some other collision types (e.g., run-off-the-road.). PA1 Intelligent cruise control (ICC) systems, currently being introduced to consumers abroad, will provide the foundation and experience to develop deployable RECAS. ICC systems do not detect stationary vehicles and will be capable of being activated by the driver at speeds above a manufacturer determined threshold. However, NHTSA views this project as a high priority effort since ICC has the potential for introduction of effective products by the automotive industry within the next 5-8 years." PA1 "This project has developed performance requirements (both hardware and human factors) for advanced technologies to prevent or decrease the severity of rear-end crashes. This involves the identification of requirements for major system components (or subsystems) such as candidate sensor, processor, driver warning/interface, and control elements. This project is oriented toward countermeasure systems that would be self-contained within the vehicle, although it does not exclude from consideration those countermeasures that may require, or be improved by auxiliary equipment installed on the roadside or in other vehicles."
In fact, the United States Government has dedicated resources to implementing a solution to the rear-end accident problem. The program, termed the Rear-end Collision Avoidance System (RECAS), is a long range attempt to introduce non-human responses to the driving environment.
Unfortunately, the government has not found a solution to rear-end collisions which can be implemented immediately. While the government has made preventing accidents a priority, there are several obstacles to overcome. For example, how will computer controlled devices interface with a driver? Will the automobile act on its own to avoid an accident, or will computer sensor devices enhance a driver's response time? An approach to integrating computers and humans has been realized by the Department of Transporation.
Clearly, a need exists for a reliable safety system which can be installed within a vehicle. The safety system will aim to prevent rear-end collisions by committing modern technology to a driver's learned behavior.
In summary, at the forefront of many individuals minds is preventing accidents before they occur. While air bags and seat belt laws have contributed to the reduction of accident fatalities, they are simply remedial measures. To effectively save lives, and lower insurance premiums, a method must be developed which is prophylactic.
The prior art discloses a number of safety devices, none of which speed the response time of the driver.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,862, issued to Beltz on Jan. 29, 1991, shows an optical occupant restraint activation sensor which works in conjunction with air bag systems to protect automobile passengers from front end collisions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,226, issued to Gentry et al. on Jul. 19, 1994, shows a method and apparatus for detecting an out of position occupant. There is no photo sensor for detecting a driver's foot moving above the brake pedal of an automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,148, issued to Barron, Jr. et al. on Apr. 25, 1995, shows a safety switch system with photooptical and capacitance detection for control of industrial machines.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,314, issued to Corrado et al. on Jan. 9, 1996, shows an automotive occupant sensor system which detects the characteristics of an individual in order to deploy and air bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,698, issued to Kamei et al. On Jun. 18, 1996, shows an automotive occupant sensing device which determines whether a suitable passenger is sitting in a seat before an air bag is deployed.
Therefore, there exists a need for an early warning braking system which employs conventional photooptical technology to increase the speed at which brake lights are illuminated.